Dianne Feinstein clashes sharply with Tea Partier Ted Cruz

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a 20-year veteran Democrat, clashed fiercely with Tea Party-backed newcomer Ted Cruz of Texas, when the freshman began lecturing the Californian about the Constitution during a debate over Feinstein’s assault weapons ban.

The ban passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party line vote. The clash was reminiscent of an exchange Feinstein had nearly two decades ago with the since disgraced Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican, who lectured the “gentle lady from California” on firearms during debate over Feinstein’s successful 1994 ban that expired in 2004. (Craig left the Senate after being charged with soliciting gay sex in a men’s room. Craig is now defending his use of campaign funds to pay for his criminal defense.)

No issue is more emotional for Feinstein. She became mayor of San Francisco as a result of the assassination of George Moscone, and was the first to discover supervisor Harvey Milk’s body, slipping her finger into the bullet hole as she sought a pulse. Feinstein said children at Sandy Hook elementary in Newtown, Conn., were “dismembered” by an assault weapon.

Cruz asked Feinstein whether she would “deem it consistent with the Bill of Rights” if Congress did the same thing to the First Amendment that she contemplates with the Second Amendment. Her assault weapons bill bans certain weapons, so Cruz asked whether Congress could ban certain books.

The Stanford-educated Feinstein replied, “I am not a sixth-grader,” and said her bill specifically exempts 2,271 weapons. “Is this not enough for the people of the United States?” she asked? “Do they need a bazooka?”

Undeterred, Cruz persisted with his rhetorical question. Texas GOP colleague John Cornyn attempted to help him out. But Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy at that point inserted himself in Feinstein’s defense, suggesting that Texas education boards banned books. In the meantime, Feinstein, with an assist from fellow Dems, came up with the rebuttal that the First Amendment indeed does not permit child pornography. Feinstein said all constitutional rights must meet certain tests.

Cruz took offense at the idea that Texans don’t read. Feinstein, who just won a civility award, was clearly offended by Cruz’s tone and method. Just two months into his term, Cruz seems to throw civility out the window. See the entire exchange here: